Paulus van de Perre (

Middelburg Middelburg may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe * Middelburg, Zeeland, the capital city of the province of Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Middelburg, a former Catholic diocese with its see in the Zeeland ...

?, 1598? –

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, 14 December 1653) was a Dutch politician and diplomat. He was one of the Dutch envoys who negotiated the

Treaty of Westminster (1654) The Treaty of Westminster, concluded between the Lord Protector of the English Commonwealth, Oliver Cromwell, and the States General of the United Netherlands, was signed on 5/15 April 1654. The treaty ended the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1 ...

for the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

with Lord Protector

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

Biography

Van de Perre was a son of Adriaan van de Perre and Adriana Dircx Hayman. His birthplace and year of birth are uncertain. He spent most of his life in Middelburg, the capital of the province of

Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...

in the Dutch Republic. He was married to Clara Teelinck, with whom he had a son and two daughters. He occupied a number of municipal offices:

schepen A schepen (Dutch; . ') or échevin (French) or Schöffe (German) is a municipal officer in Belgium and formerly the Netherlands. It has been replaced by the ' in the Netherlands (a municipal executive). In modern Belgium, the ''schepen'' or ''éch ...

burgemeester Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief m ...

, and

pensionary A pensionary was a name given to the leading functionary and legal adviser of the principal town corporations in the Low Countries because they received a salary or pension. History The office originated in Flanders. Initially, the role was refe ...

. He represented the city in the

States of Zeeland The Provincial Council of Zeeland ( nl, Provinciale Staten van Zeeland), also known as the States of Zeeland, is the Provincial council (Netherlands), provincial council of Zeeland, Netherlands. It forms the legislative body of the province. Its 3 ...

and the

States-General of the Netherlands The States General of the Netherlands ( nl, Staten-Generaal ) is the supreme bicameral legislature of the Netherlands consisting of the Senate () and the House of Representatives (). Both chambers meet at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The States ...

. In 1652 he was a regent of the

Latin school The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Emphasis was placed, as the name indicates, on learning to use Latin. The education given at Latin schools gave gre ...

in Middelburg. Van de Perre (who had received a law degree) is best remembered for his role as a diplomat in the relations of the Dutch Republic with the

Commonwealth of England The Commonwealth was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when England and Wales, later along with Ireland and Scotland, were governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War and the trial and execut ...

around the

First Anglo-Dutch War The First Anglo-Dutch War, or simply the First Dutch War, ( nl, Eerste Engelse (zee-)oorlog, "First English (Sea) War"; 1652–1654) was a conflict fought entirely at sea between the navies of the Commonwealth of England and the Dutch Republic, ...

. In 1651 he, together with

Jacob Cats Jacob Cats (10 November 1577 – 12 September 1660) was a Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and politician. He is most famous for his emblem books. Early years Jacob Cats was born on 10 November 1577 in Brouwershaven as son of Adriaen Cornelis ...

and Gerard Pietersz. Schaep, was sent to England to negotiate with the government of the Commonwealth about the renewal of a commercial treaty of 1496, the repeal of the first

Navigation Act The Navigation Acts, or more broadly the Acts of Trade and Navigation, were a long series of English laws that developed, promoted, and regulated English ships, shipping, trade, and commerce between other countries and with its own colonies. The ...

, and a number of other points of friction. These negotiations came to nothing and were broken off on 10 July 1652, after the First Anglo-Dutch War had already broken out with the naval incident between admirals

Maarten Tromp Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp (also written as ''Maerten Tromp''; 23 April 1598 – 31 July 1653) was a Dutch army general and admiral in the Dutch navy. Son of a ship's captain, Tromp spent much of his childhood at sea, including being captured ...

and

Blake Blake is a surname which originated from Old English. Its derivation is uncertain; it could come from "blac", a nickname for someone who had dark hair or skin, or from "blaac", a nickname for someone with pale hair or skin. Another theory, presuma ...

on 29 May (all dates

New Style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...

). When the two governments decided to open peace negotiations in 1653, Van de Perre was again made part of the Dutch delegation, representing the States of his native Zeeland, together with

Hieronymus van Beverningh Hieronymus van Beverningh (sometimes spelled Beverningk) ( Gouda, April 25, 1614 – Oud Teylingen, October 30, 1690) was a prominent Dutch regent, diplomat, amateur botanist, and patron of the arts, who lived during the Dutch Golden Age. Biog ...

and

Willem Nieupoort Willem Nieupoort (30 January 1607, in Schiedam – 2 May 1678, in The Hague) was a Dutch States Party politician, ambassador to the Commonwealth of England for the Dutch Republic and commissioner in the Dutch delegation that negotiated the Trea ...

for the

States of Holland The States of Holland and West Frisia ( nl, Staten van Holland en West-Friesland) were the representation of the two Estates (''standen'') to the court of the Count of Holland. After the United Provinces were formed — and there no longer was a c ...

and

Allart Pieter van Jongestall Allart Pieter van Jongestall, also spelled Allard Pieter van Jongestal (12 August 1612 in Stavoren – 9 November 1676 in Hallum) was a Dutch jurist and diplomat. He was president of the ''Hof van Friesland'' (High Court of the province of Fr ...

for the States of Friesland. They left on the ship "Den Swarten Arendt" (captain Anthony Post) and arrived in London on 30 June 1653 . In the negotiations Van de Perre was a champion for the cause of the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The title ...

and the Dutch West India Company (W.I.C.), unlike his fellow commissioners from the province of Holland. Van de Perre suddenly died on 14 December 1653. His corpse was embalmed and sent back to Zeeland on the "St. Peter" (captain Peter Davernett) in the last days of December 1653, with a special passport to be allowed through the English blockade of the Dutch coast. He was buried in the Old Saint Peter's Church in Middelburg. His tomb displays his family coat-of-arms.

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perre, Paulus van de 1598 births 1653 deaths People from Middelburg, Zeeland 17th-century Dutch diplomats Mayors in Zeeland 17th-century Dutch politicians People of the Anglo-Dutch Wars